Oh WOE! The section of the Shepherd Neame website that I used to help me select the wonderful beers we drank 2 years ago has vanished, and I can't even remember the name of the chocolatey porter. Of course I remember Late Red and the Burns Night Special - and the Christmas Ale although I was not SO keen on that...

I have fired off an agonised email to Shepherd Neame. Watch this space, beer connoisseurs.

Thanks Richard. Tina and Vic invited us to stay the weekend in September, I think it is the second week. If you can let me know what the programme is for September that would be great. Again thanks.http://www.flickr.com/photos/63889859@N04/

"That Pub changes hands more times then I change ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,? My Pants

"What a Palaver.

Why Cant the Karaoke lot have a Friday night or a Saturday night? then we can have the Sunday from mid morn that way every one is catered for there is not any issues regarding taking the pub over and the pub profits from both events.

For updates tah will not get into the public domain email me at bhurmabum@shiftmail.com with "Lower Stoke" in teh subject line. It is a disposable email address so if the spambots pick it up I can discard it - and it also runs through a spam filter.

Right - we are on until Xmas. Starting Oct 9. The reason is that the pub may be starting refurbishment after Xmas and there may not be a room for us to play in. If there is (and it isn't needed for eg restaurant plans) then we can continue. Beer under investigation - watch this space. We may have to go with any real beer that will come in a half-barrel or is on discount for the first one until our consumption can be assessed - negotiations with the brewery on this front cannot really be started until after Sept 19. Vegans are cleared for vegan snacks. I will pre-prepare spuds for the first month, then if restaurant comes on stream they may prefer to sell food rather than give it away!

Im sorry Folks. They can refurbish The Nags Head until the Cows come home, it has about as much chance of becoming a potentially successful Restaurant as.....................................? me becoming the next Pope? none the more for that I am pleased we have been given the Grace to use the pub? well done Richard We will be there?

The pub has been being painted and decorated all this week so it should be all posh by the 9th Oct. I'll try to fit in a look-in on opening night, Friday this week, which might be a little like mayhem... with a view to reporting back and checking the beer stakes

Lots of painting duly done! A bit more to do before the pub's opening party tomorrow night - might get a brief look in after practice tomorrow. Probably Late Red for our opening day. Discussions with brewery continue.

A potential major plus is that there is now a saddleroom - a bit like the old room that used to get folked in at the Style & Winch - out back, with potential for us to use that if the restaurant refurbishment makes a problem in the pub after Xmas.

Refresh. And can anyone help Pete the Hat with transport both directions - and maybe my daughter and boyf with transport away from the event, either in the course of the afternoon or at the end, as far as Strood Station?

I have also pre-prepared as far as possible two to three squidges - plan for one harissa, one not heavily spiced, and maybe if a third one a few but not too many of my home grown chilis in it - so it could be ANY temperature!

All the squidges will be very veggie - might even pass as vegan - unless if doing three I make the third one a meat one.

Well, not as many turned up as I hoped and a few had to leave early. However, we were glad to have parts of the Octopus Tree (the organic parts of Cari's musical focus) and damned good they were. We managed to drink most of the barrel, and I even managed to get most of the squidge eaten.

Next one Nov 13.

I am quite excited that Gary ( - a different Gary, not the one from Octopus Tree - a local Romany Rai) has nearly promised to bring us some of the old songs next time - ones he learned from his uncle and his uncle learned from his uncle in turn.

Great afternoon/evening. Shame there weren't more, but I agree, the landlord seemed very impressed. I had a pint of the Sheps Smooth that was new to me. It was very nice. Tea and coffee were good too, at a very reasonable 50p per cup. Pierre's sausage loaf was a triumph, but I had just one slice, and about 4 spuds, to make room for the squidge. The medium hot was my choice, and I finished the dish off. Roll on the next one.

Sampled my onion marmalade today. It is nice and sweet, but not as fiery as I'd hoped... but... biting into a black peppercorn helps... also..... there is garlic in the mix which didn't come out in my spoonful...... it may get stronger by 13th.

I like Tribute. That was the beer that they eventually got in for us folkies at The Foresters, but it didn't make the Foresters experience more enjoyable. By then, we'd had enough of the juke box, the t.v., and all. Looking forward to trying Trelawney.

I'm afraid I shall be singing rude songs with a load of ex squaddies in some pub in Westminster. It seems there is some kind of marching thing to be done that morning so we will probably be soaking our feet as well as our livers. I might even be on the telly - I shall be the one with the black beret on, marching in step (unlike the others) :-)

I have to peel 5kg of Maris Pipers tonight to give me time to sort our 2 or 3 squidges in the morning. Bleeding hell the price of goose fat (for the non-veggie roasties: there will be one tray of veggie and one tray of non-veggie).

If it is cold we can have the fire too so I'd better make sure there is some firewood and coal today as well.

By the way as you can see on our facebook page Mr Leopard has a virus and has lost his growl, therefore we may be a wholly leopard free zone (oh good said the monkeys), so I am likely to need another volunteer to take Don back to Snodland and pour him out! VT, will you still be able to do that?

I have sampled the St Austell Trelawny. A light gold, fresh in the nose, citrus (somewhere between lemon and tangerine) on the palate. I'm not getting a strong malt from it, but it's very very clean and suppable. A long finish, but not turning too bitter at all. Delightful and refreshing. I can see I might drink many of it!

For those who get there early there is also a mild at 3%. It's under pressure and coming up a bit cold through a flash cooler but if you don't rush it the flavour emerges, dark and malty but not too thick, as it warms up a little. But apparently the locals have taken strongly to it so there may not be a lot left by tomorrow.

I have home baked lots of mini rolls and a very very large loaf so large i WILL have to put it on a plank of wood to get it there,I hope Brian and Marion are coming has I have a new electric guitar and believe me it needs Rogering like "Big time" Its a Fender Strat the necks a bit wobbly and it has no frets. I have been to the Cheese shoppee, so what with what everyone else is bringing we should have quite a feast.We hope to all arrive by 1300 hrs has we are going to the Remembrance Day service on H.M.s Belfast prior to Lower Stoke session . then we go home get changed grab instruments and we will be on our way. looking forward to seeing you all .

1110 – First Crusade: The Crusaders sack Sidon. 1259 – Kings Louis IX of France and Henry III of England agree to the Treaty of Paris, in which Henry renounces his claims to French-controlled territory on continental Europe (including Normandy) in exchange for Louis withdrawing his support for English rebels. 1745 – Charles Edward Stewart's army reaches Derby, its furthest point during the second Jacobite Rising. NB this may have a folk link to the dating of "Pretty Peggy of Derby". 1791 – The first edition of The Observer, the world's first Sunday newspaper, is published. 1829 – In the face of fierce local opposition, British governor Lord William Bentinck issues a regulation declaring that all who abet suttee in India are guilty of culpable homicide. 1872 – The crewless American ship Mary Celeste is found by the British brig Dei Gratia (the ship had been abandoned for nine days but is only slightly damaged). 1939 – World War II: HMS Nelson is struck by a mine (laid by U-31) off the Scottish coast and is laid up for repairs until August 1940. 1951 A double-decker bus plows over a marching column of teenage Marine Cadets in Gillingham Kent, England, killing 24 and injuring an additional 18. This led eventually to a famous trust law case Re Gillingham Bus Disaster fund about cy-pres application by charities of surplus funds. 1979 – The Hastie fire in Hull, kills three schoolboys and eventually leads police to arrest Bruce George Peter Lee. 1980 – English rock group Led Zeppelin officially disbands, following the death of drummer John Bonham on September 25th.

Ah!!! Fullers!!!! A Surrey or South London Brewery? Nice one. No doubt you'll correct me if wrong Richard, but there were a lot of Fullers pubs in my childhood neighbourhood. Good that they donate to a charity.

Reserve jar of onion marmalade will be with us on Sunday. Remains of jar one were scoffed with Italian cheese and Italian bread last night at Crayside.

"The Rev. James beer is one steeped in history. Acquired after the purchase of Crown Buckley, Rev. James is brewed to an original recipe dating back to 1885. The beer is named after one of the original owners of Buckley Brewery, the Rev, James Buckley, a business man with two conflicting roles – saving souls and satisfying thirsts.

The Rev. James is brewed to a traditional recipe and has been described as having a flavour not commonly available these days. Full-bodied and warming, The Rev. James is rich in palate, spicy and aromatic with a deeply satisfying finish."

Bombardier (at 4.1) - but everyone is doing it these days Youngs ordinary - but (a) we've had it and (b) although it was lovely Leopards disapproved. St Austell Tribute - but we had one St Austell already (see below) and change is there to be rung St Austell Trelawny - we had and was smashing, but been there done that Adnams Lighthouse (3.4) - a bit over hoppy for my taste Master Brew - Sorry shirt murderer I just don't like it Greene King IPA - (3.6) which although hoppy I like but I think I am in a minority there Reverend James (see above) Hobgoblin - (4.5 in cask) but again very well known (and IMHO more damaging than a rated 4.5 would suggest)

I report with mixed emotions that the Reverend James ran out about 3 pm-ish. Several folkies were less than delighted, but it proves that we are re-introducing real beer to Lower Coke and if makes Mick the Landlord happy.

Next one 5 Feb.

Last one 4 Mar.

In view of the increasing thirst Mick the Landlord may go to an 11 gallon barrel of Late Red for both.

Apologies for non-attendance, again. Due to the clement weather we got involved in the garden (not in that way), winter clearance and finishing the Folly. I wasn't sure what time the karaoke started, or when the sing shifts from the pub, so I didn't fancy the hour drive when the light went, in case things had gone off the boil.

Sounds like the Reverend went down well, you obviously had a good afternoon. Roll on February & we'll try again. Keep up the good work!

Exciting news! The villagers have been demanding real beer! Indeed to such an extent that Mick the landlord is thinking seriously about putting on (for our next one) not only a barrel of whatever I select from the list he can get from his source, but ALSO a barrel of Late Red in February.

The beer engines have received pretty new ceramic handles, and it seems likely that the pool table will vanish and some pretty new leather furniture arrive in the saloon area - and carpet where the pool table used to be.

Refresh - Feb 5th Nags Head ME3 9RA noon until 6 or 7 ish, beer not chosen yet but locals have taken to proper beer so there may well be a barrel of Late Red AND whatever I persuade the landlord to get in.

The beer experiment continues well: this weekend the pub has a skiffle afternoon on Sunday and has laid in the Reverend James again because the locals liked it so much. Allegedly a good start was made on it last night.

Snow warnings - maybe as much as a foot of the stuff. Don't forget to take plenty of antifreeze (that is to say alcohol) and I'll put an extra chili in the squidge so you can tie a curry-eater on the bonnet to breathe on the road on the way home...

Seriously, folks, the A2 and the A289 and A228 will be salted and gritted to extinction, so expect no trouble.

Sunday 4th March. Last Lower Stoke Winter Sing of the season. Nags Head Lower Stoke ME3 9RA. Opening time (noon) until we fall over or the barrel is empty or about 6 or 7-ish. Fire in the grate and logburner in the pub, roast spuds on the bar, squidge in my house in front of log fire afterwards. Collection for Knockholt funds.

I expect to be selecting the beer later today or maybe tomorrow - it might be Late Red.

I was very worried at 4 am that I would be unable to drink on Sunday due to painkillers due to fanguish, but the fang seems to have started to settle down, so normal consumption can be resumed as soon as possible.